As if the world couldn’t get enough “Gleeking†(I’m pretty sure that’s actually when you projectile spit out of your mouth), we will soon be served a hot platter of the acclaimed sing-a-long high school drama not only on the silver screen, but in the third dimension as well. Only a little bit of footage was shown, but people went nuts over it. I never knew there were so many fans of Glee at Comic-Con. That is, until I became witness to the hundreds of shrieking fans reacting to a short clip from the upcoming Glee: The 3D Concert Movie like it was the second coming of Jesus. It was apparent that some Gleeks are just as diehard crazy as the majority of us nerds walking the convention floor. But no, it won’t just be a 2-hour episode of Glee. Think Justin Bieber Never Say Never meets a smaller group of slightly older but equally crazed female fans.Check out the trailer here. Hit the jump to find out more details on the footage shown as well as what the cast had to say during their panel about the upcoming season, including whether or not the graduating seniors will be leaving the show.
Basically, the film follows the cast of the show as they travel on a national concert tour, accompanied by a handful of 3D cameras that are filming all the action. They also interview some of the world’s most hardcore Gleeks and explore how the Glee phenomenon has affected their lives. Highlighted in the clip is one girl with Aspergers syndrome tells the camera that sometimes her only source of happiness is when she watches clips of the extremely talented Heather Morris (playing the character of Brittany Pierce) perform her signature Brittney Spears impersonation. There’s no denying the tremendous impact that Fox’s hit show has had on its viewers, and the 3D movie promises further relishing in the Glee spectacle.Of course, most wouldn’t expect a Glee concert movie to be the best showcase for 3D, but I was surprised by how well it worked. Well, I can’t say that it made me enjoy the choreography any more than I do, but it certainly looked better than a handful of other 3D movies I’ve seen. A part of the footage had the camera swivel in between the dancers while on-stage smoke effects popped into view, with exciting effect.The footage shown gives us a glimpse of Heather Morris (Brittney) as she reenacts her Brittney Spears tribute episode on stage, as well as a routine with some of the male cast members as they perform Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream†onstage. It was plain to see the film’s allure; the ways the performances are shot are exciting enough to hold your attention, and intermingled back-stage footage with the cast gives a fun, humorous, and more human spin on the otherwise larger-than-life marvel that is Glee. And remember that little toddler who became a Youtube sensation with his faithful “Teenage Dream†dance routine? Well, he’s also featured in the movie, which means even the cute angle is covered. Basically, if you’re a fan of the show and you enjoy all things cheesy and/or cute, you’re most likely gonna love this.
Following the screening, the creators, producers, and a handful of the cast came out for a Q and A. The creators were not bashful in giving away prominent details about the upcoming third season (ATTENTION: POSSIBLE SPOILERS). Co-creator Brad Falchuk revealed that the writers will be focusing more heavily on establishing longer character arcs for the whole cast, and many of the characters will have entire episodes dedicated to their individual lives and families. Mike Chang  (Harry Shum Jr.) along with Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss) will both become leading series regulars in the next season, but the character of Sam Evans (Chord Overstreet) will not be returning. Like the Brittney Spears episode, there will be another celebrity tribute installment (though who it will be is yet to be disclosed). We will be introduced to Mercedes’ (Amber Riley) new boyfriend who will supposedly be encouraging her to strive for bigger and better things in the Glee club (possibly to challenge Rachel’s role as lead singer?).When asked how they come up with the formula for each episode, Falchuk said that the “story always comes first†and then the songs fuel the story, as opposed to working around the songs they want to incorporate. They also commented on the gay relationship between Brittney and Santana (Naya Rivera) and how they initially developed their storyline as a joke, but after the positive feedback from the lesbian and bisexual communities, they decided to further their storyline. In addition, the producers revealed the fact that they had considered a spinoff featuring Kurt, Rachel and Blaine, but after careful consideration decided to forego the plan. As far as Sue is concerned, the panel gave away that she will be running for congress next season in order to focus on eradicating glee clubs all across the nation. And if any of you were losing sleep over worrying whether or not senior students would leave the show after graduation, I’m here to ensure that you can breathe easy. Falchuk stated that just because they are graduating doesn’t mean they will be leaving the show, joking that “if you have Lea Michele on contract, you don’t just say ‘we’ll let you go’â€.Directed by Kevin Tancharoen, the film also stars Dianna Agron (Quinn), Chris Colfer (Kurt Hummel), Cory Monteith (Finn), Darren Criss (Blaine), Kevin McHale (Artie) and Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina Cohen-Chang). It is set to be released this August 12th, 2011.Click here for all our Comic-Con 2011 coverage.